7 Tips for Naming Your Dog, Including Hot New Pet Names!

Naming your dog is an important step in welcoming him to your home. Make sure you select a name that fits the dog's personality, look, and temperament. That can be hard to do when you are naming a new pet, since you may not know their personality at first.

Don't feel pressured to name your dog or puppy on the first day. Take a few days to get to know your pet. Once you choose a name, it's best to stick with it, to avoid confusing the dog. So, take time to make sure you've
 chosen a name that fits.

Naming a dog is fun. It's a good idea to involve the whole family. You'll have to choose a name upon which everyone can agree. The best way to do that is to sit down together to brainstorm names. You'll go through a lot of "no's," but ultimately, someone will suggest a name that sticks.

Below are seven tips for selecting a dog's name. There are even some names to get you started. Choose one of these, or create your own. What matters is that you and your new pet like the name.

Name the dog based on physical characteristics.
This is an easy way to name your dog. Gigantic fur balls lend themselves to names like Harry, Shaggy, Fuzzy, Wooly, and Grizzly. While small, soft furry animals are suited to names like Velvet, Curls, Curley, and Brooke.

Small, delicate dogs can be named after flowers: Rose, Hyacinth, Lily, Mumsy, Sweet Pea, or Tulip. Gemstones, like Jade, Ruby, Crystal, Jasper, Pearl, Jasper, and Opal make good names for small dogs.

Large male dogs need large names like Hulk, Ulysses, Mufasa, Hercules, Burl, Shrek, Colonel, Garth, Rocky, Hannibal, and Maximus. Consider Tess, Latifah, Xena, Raven, or Medea. These names don't make fun of strong or plus-sized women, but honor them by using their name for your large puppy love.

If you have an ugly dog try out Quasimodo, Frankenstein, Ursula, Jugs, or Medusa.

Give your dog a name that is descriptive of their personality.
Cute, cuddly female dogs are easy to name. Angel, Celeste, and Joy invoke the feeling of joy and goodness a dog brings to your home. Muffin, Chablis, Sable, Pinky and Pumpkin are adorable names for an armful of love.

 
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i am getting a labradoodle, female, i want to name it Miley Montana. does that sound like a good name. please help me choose. i am getting the dog on tuesday the fourth of november. please help

Posted on 11/01/2008 at 9:11:27 AM

i am getting a labradoodle, female, i want to name it Miley Montana. does that sound like a good name. please help me choose. i am getting the dog on tuesday the fourth of november. please help

Posted on 11/01/2008 at 9:11:51 AM

I think I'd have to name a big Rottweiler, who is gentle, something like "Baby." I'd have to find an antithesis to the reputation that Rottie's have. Good luck with that.

Posted on 05/10/2008 at 2:05:52 PM

Thanks for the comments and sharing additional names. mwtsaginaw - i have a friend who named his dog what I thought was diogy -- it is actually "D - O - G".......scarey someone else I know is thinking like you. Great dog though!

Posted on 05/10/2008 at 2:05:10 PM

We are adding a female Rottweiler puppy to our family - but according to the theme that the breeder has selected for this litter, she has to be named after "Something Sweet"....any suggestions for a name that will match the "sweetness" requirement, yet also be fitting for a Rottie??

Posted on 02/13/2008 at 1:02:22 PM

Great guidelines. I think a dog's name should be fairly simple, so it is easy to call him or her. Nice to see creative names emerging!

Posted on 02/08/2008 at 11:02:51 PM

Super ideas.

Posted on 02/07/2008 at 4:02:03 PM

great article... our dogs are named Griffin and Artemis... love them both to pieces. Now our rescue cats... we have thought up over six hundred names... and we are beginning to get stumped

Posted on 02/06/2008 at 2:02:14 PM

Great ideas!

Posted on 02/06/2008 at 6:02:51 AM

If people can combine dogs and come up with Cockernoodleschnoodles (or some such creature) then I vote for combining some of those adorable names you've suggested. Perhaps a physical characteristic name combined with a personality name, getting double amounts of adorableness. I'm not sure I could call my pup Jugs or Medusa, however, although I see the appeal of those names for certain dogs. Very creative article!

Posted on 02/06/2008 at 5:02:07 AM

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